Let’s start with where to get good food and drinks:
For dinner and/or a glass of wine or cold microbrew, then go to The River Room, The Wild River Grille, Campo, Beaujolais, Brewer’s Cabinet, The Depot, The Imperial Lounge, Silver Peak Grill and Taproom, Old Granite Street Eatery, Centro, La Famiglia, Bertha Miranda’s, Midtown Eats, Brasserie, Kauboi Izakaya, Lulou’s, Buenos Grill, Eclipse Pizza, Whispering Vine, Louis’ Basque Corner, the Santa Fe, Renaissance Reno, Roundabout Grill or any of the restaurants in the Freighthouse District adjacent to the Aces Ballpark.
The following do not serve food, but serve wine or beer very well: West Street Market Wine Bar, Red Rock Studio, Sierra Taphouse, Old Bridge Pub, the Eddy, Stamp Social Club, Lincoln Lounge, The Depot, Under The Rose, Pigeon Head, IMBIB, Whipple Distillery, St. James Infirmary, 1864 Tavern, the Public House, SixFour Growlers, Pinon, Death and Taxes, Chapel Tavern, Craft, The Saint, and Ceol Irish Pub.
For breakfast or brunch the morning after the relay, go to Daughter’s Café, Pegs, PJs, Squeeze In, Two Chicks, Waldens, or the Stone House.
If you want to hang out in a coffeehouse, then stop by Bibo Coffee Company, The Hub, Java Jungle, See See Motor Coffee, Dreamers, or one of the downtown Starbucks.
As for what else you should do in Downtown Reno, you cannot go wrong with any of the following activities:
- Watch the Triple A Reno Aces play baseball at their first class ballpark that backs up to Truckee River
- Saunter through the Nevada Museum of Art which is located in a distinctly shaped building modeled after the Black Rock for which the Black Rock Desert is named (yes, that is where the Burning Man Festival happens)
- Explore all the exhibits in the Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum (a must do if you have any children with you, but please note that this place is for adults too and has lots of science exhibits)
- Climb a rock wall at Whitney Peak
- check out vintage cars at Harrah’s Automobile Museum
- play bocce ball at the Renaissance Reno or the Eddy
- Watch the trains pass by in the “Train Trench” and study the railroad history exhibit at the restored Amtrak Station
- Kayak or tube or jump in the river at the Whitewater Park
- Run, walk or bicycle along the river or around the University of Nevada campus
- Listen to an organ concert at Trinity Episcopal Church
- See a movie at the Century Theaters
- Watch a theatrical production at the Pioneer Theater or the Bruka Theater or the Good Luck Macbeth Theater or the Reno Little Theater.